As The Mind’s Eye Saw It

The New near Fries, Va.- Christine McCarty

Christine was recently bicycling in the New River Trail State Park near Fries, Va when she stopped for this wide angle shot of the New. “I am proud of this photo for two reasons. First of all, I like the photo! I am not a big fan of landscapes but I have seen some amazing black and white landscapes that I really love! Secondly, a big challenge I always face is the huge discrepancy between what I see in my mind and what actually appears in the photo! My mind is a fantastic photographer by the way! Anyway when I was taking this photo, this is exactly what I had in mind! I realized the light was not the best but I was thinking about what adjustment I could make rather than not take the photo. As I was composing I was thinking about what I wanted the end result to be and this is it! I knew I would convert to black and white and I knew that I wanted this ‘look’…. and wah la!”

If a photographer visualizes an image and then manages to faithfully reproduce that vision into reality, the day’s work has been a success. Successfully communicating that vision to the viewer is the final test. How successful was she?

Good Composition, Excellent Focus and Lovely “Bokeh”

Judi Brown – Yellow Goat’s Beard

Judi is not only one of the newer members of the ACC but a recent transplant to Ashe County. Judging by the quality of this image, she brings a great deal of photographic talent to both the Club and the County. It’s somewhat amazing how this rural, somewhat remote area manages to continue to attract so many talented newcomers. This photograph was taken at Daniel Boone Native Gardens in Boone during a recent Flower Photo Stroll led by member Bill Barbour. The yellow goat’s beard is sharply focused and the bright yellow truly stands out against the dark green, softly diffused background. There are no elements included that detract from the main focal point. Shifting the image off center to the right is simply the best approach.
Congratulations to Judi for having the courage as a new member to step forward and share her work with everyone.
Canon EOS 5d
Lens: Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD
Focal Length: 119mm
Exposure: 1/800 sec at f/6.3
ISO: 100